Standpipes are common for fire fighting purposes, particularly in commercial and mass occupancy buildings. A variety of connections are provided on standpipes to allow for attachment of fire hoses in case fighting of a fire in such a high occupancy building becomes necessary.
Until recent years, the standpipe connections have not presented a problem. However, increasingly, in recent years, these connections have been subject to increasing incidents of vandalism. The cap covering the standpipe can be removed, and the valve opened, so that there is an excessive water flow, without need, not only rendering use of the given standpipe opening difficult, but substantially reducing the pressure in the remainder of a system of which the standpipe forms a part. Without water flow, the standpipe cap may be removed and the opening clogged by various kinds of debris. Again, without water flow, the hand wheel or handle provided on the valve stem may be removed, so that when the standpipe and its opening become necessary in fighting a fire, the proper implements are not available for opening the valve which allows use of the standpipe opening.
As these increasing incidents of vandalism have become more apparent, various means have been devised and provided to avoid them. None have been fully successful.
Many of the prior art systems, while providing means for locking an unauthorized opening of a standpipe or similar arrangement, have required exceedingly sophisticated tools to actuate the device. Others, less sophisticated, have not provided for proper protection of the device from unauthorized opening.
Among the prior art devices disclosed are those in U.S. Pat. No. 3,623,498 Manahan, issued Nov. 30, 1971. That patent describes an apparatus to seal the valve stem, rather than the outlet, of a fire hydrant. The dome at the top of the hydrant, according to that patent, is provided with a slot into which an arm fits. The arm is provided, at the lower part, with legs having openings. A clamp means is provided which seats against the bottom of the hooded dome and has an upstanding leg with an opening. The two parts are placed in the slot and assembled and a pin is driven through the four aligned openings. This pin is then peened over, and can only be removed by cutting. This does not provide the same protection as provided by the present invention.
In Wilson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,549, a cap to be placed on a pipe for an underground storage tank is described. The cap is so formed to prevent accidental removal and prevent unauthorized removal. It includes a circular cap which has arms pivoted to it, the arms, in turn, being pivoted to other members. The other members are pivoted to a central post which, when it is pushed down, causes the arms to move inwardly to lock against the pipe. To prevent unauthorized removal, a member having an opening extends up from the cap and seats between the arms of a further member having aligned openings. Any type of locking mechanism, according to that patent, is placed through these holes. However, this device does not provide the simplicity of construction and operation realized in accordance with the present invention.
In Milo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,787, a pipe cap to be placed on the adaptor of the standpipe is described. A U-shaped handle, having lugs, is mounted to the adaptor which also contains a locking tab. The cap has cammed surfaces over which the lugs lock to hold the cap in place. A hole is placed in one of the side arms of the U-shaped handle, the hole aligning with the locking tab when the cap is in place, allowing a locking means, such as the hasp of a lock, to be placed in position.
None of the structures and schemes of the prior art have completely solved the vandalism problem associated with such standpipe outlets in such a way as to protect them from vandalism, while also providing a facile means of opening the cap.